Mechanical gun.



B. L; WORTHEN.

MECHANICAL GUN.

APPLICATION FILED 0Ec.4. 1916.

S H E E T I INVENTOR. 1 BURT L.WZ7R7'/-/EN TTOR/VE Y.

4 SHEETS- Patented J an. 14, 1919.

B. L. WORTHEN.

MECHANICAL GUN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.4. I916- Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

4 SHEETS SHEET 3.

y WM E N NM R r 0 Wm w w A L m u 5 Patented Jan. 14-, 1919.

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a 2?] TTORNEY.

B. L. WORTHEN.

MECHANICAL GUN.

APPLICATION FILED 050.4.1916.

BURT L. WORTHEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MECHANICAL GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed December 4, 1916. Serial No. 184,846.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BURT L. WORTHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State of California, have lnvented a new and useful Mechanical Gun, of whlch the following is a specification in such full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

This invention relates to a direct line centrifugal 11, an improvement upon the 1nvention s own in my patent application Ser. No. 81,118, filed Feb. 29, 1916. In this 1nvention the projectiles are inserted 1n the firing mechanism from below and are forced thereinto by compressed air, the air also assisting in preventing them from bindlng as they are forced out of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to produce a self-contained machine having the motor for driving the machine built into the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for carryin the projectile and tubes below the firing isk on a horizontal axis feeding wheel whereby the machine is more conveniently fed than would be the case where the disks are fed from containers vertically placed over the firing disk.

Another ob ect of the invention is to provide means whereby the machine may be thoroughly and effectually oiled thereby insuring the proper operation thereof, as well as insuring the proper discharge therefrom of the projectiles which will have a small quantity of oil applied thereto.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be many modifications thereof.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the complete apparatus,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the firing disk and of the feeding apparatus, the gun carriage wheels and carrlage not being shown,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on a larger scale of the feeding disks and projectile carrying tubes,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the feeding disks and tubes carried thereby,

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the firing table and feeding mechanism immediately adjacent the center of the firing disk,

Fig. 7 is a plan view partly in sectlon of a portion of the drivin disk and feed cam arrangement adjacent t e center of the disk,

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the latch used for operating the feed wheels,

Fig. 9 shows the corrugations on one side of the groove through which the projectiles are constrained to pass,

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional View 0 the opening through which the projectiles are driven, and

Fig. 11 is an edge elevation of one of the projectiles.

The gun carriage is supported on wheels 1 and 2 by means of suitable axles 3 and 4, said axles supporting the gun, by means of suitable outwardly pressed lugs 6 and 7 formed in the main frame 8 of the gun in -which lugs said axles are secured. The

main frame 8 consists of a single piece of metal 8 bent around the motor to form the connections for the wheels and also to form a support for the motor. Above and below the rearward extensions 9 and 10 of the frame 8 there are four hinge members 17, 17 and 19, 19, which hinge members are connected by oppositely placed similar hinge members 18, 18 and 20, 20' with the rear portion of the gun carriage.

The two parts of the gun carriage are con nected by the pivot pins 11 and 21. The rear portion of the gun carriage consists of two plates 22, 22 secured together at one end by means of the stop plate or buffer plate 12. When it is desired to raise or lower the gun carriage the lower pin 11 or the upper pin 21 is removed as may be desired and the adjustment is effected by means of a lever 14, said lever being pivoted on the rear portion of the carriage by means of a pin 23 which extends through both of the members 22, 22'. The lever 14 has a roller 15 on its lower end which bears on a plate 15 connected with the member 9 and at its upper end it slides througha block 26, which block is fixed in a given position with respect to said lever by means of the hand wheel 27 and screw 28. The block 26 is pivotally connected with the lever 24, said lever being pivotally connected with the members 22, 22' by means of a pin 25.

At the lower end of the members 22, 22' there are two brackets 30, 31 connected to therewith providing the base for the motor frame 37. The brackets 30, 31 are provided with a wheel 31', which wheel may be used to transport the gun when des1red or it may be moved out of contact with the ground by the removal of either of the pins 32, 33, in

' which event the stop forms a bufier for holding the gun steady. D

The motor 1s suitably installed within the casing 38 and has a hollow shaft there-' through as indicated at 38. Step bearings 40 and 41 are used to carry the weight of the motor and projectile driving disk. The driving disk is also well lubricated because of the oil that is thrownup the tubes '42 and 13. The shaft 38 carries a disk 44 which is revoluble therewith and it is secured to a boss 45 by means of suitable set screws as illustrated at 46. The lateral bearings for the shaft 38 are shown at 47 and 48 and the motor is installed in the casing 38 between said bearings.

' The shaft 38 has a revoluble oil receptacle 50 connected therewith, which receptacle has its upper and outer edge turned over as indicated at 51 to prevent the escape of oil therefrom and depending from the frame holding the lower thrust bearings 40 is a hood 52 which prevents the oil'from splash: ing out. Extending through the hood 52 is an oil pipe 53, one end of which extends down into the pan 50. and into the upturned edge thereof, the object being to throw what oil accumulates in the pan 50 back up through the pipes '54, 55 and 56 to the upper portionof the machine where -a groove 57 is provided for the oil to discharge thereinto.

Above the motor the frame 58'forms the support for a ring 59 on which the thrust bearing ring 39 is supported. At the discharge end of the pipe 56 there is a groove 60 which has openings leading down to the top of the ring 59, the object being to supply' the ring and also the pipes 42 and 43 .with oil for lubricating the disk. Resting on the top of the frame 58 there is a plate 61, which plate has a plurality of circular grooves 62 therein. The grooves 62 are cut in a ridge of the plate 61 which extends high enough to contact with the revoluble disk 64 which is connected to theshaft 38' by means of the bolts 46 aforesaid.

The groove 60 has some openings 65, 66 leading therefrom down on to the top of the plate 59, the object being to return any oil of the machine through the bearings .47 and 48. Passageways 68, 69 in the ring59 allow the oil to pass down to the-bearings 47 48 and thence back to the bottom of the machine. Outside of the grooves 62 there is a groove 70 which extends entirely around the fixed portion 61 of the machine and a pipe 71 extends outside of the machine to a point back of the groove 60.

The object of the foregoing construction is to provide means wh ereby upon the rotat1on of the armature and disk oil will be forced u through the'pipe 54 into the pipe 56 and t ence into the machine where it is required, a portion of it being picked up by up being returned to the pan at the bottom of the machine by gravity.

The fixed plate 61 is precisely adjusted and rlgidly held in a fixed position by means of the adjusting rods 72, 73 which have adjusting screws 74 and 75 with lock nuts at their lower ends. The fixed cover plate 76 is suitably bolted to the rigid plate 61 and to hold the feeding device rigidly in a fixed position at the center of the revoluble d1sk,there is a three armed spider 77 which is also secured to the fixed portion of the machine. I q The gun barrel is indicatedat 78 and 7 7 and consistsof two parts secured to the fixed'members 61 and 76 by meansof the two bolts 7 9, 80. The line of fire is indicated by the dotted groove 81, see Fig.. 2, in the underside of the fixed plate 7 6,'while to drive the projectiles out of the machine a curved groove shown at 82 is formed in the revoluble disk44.

The proj v roe ectile is shown at 83in Fig; 11

and is provided with an upstanding 'bos's 84 and has its edge beveled as indicatedaat 85. One side of the groovethrouigh which the projectile travels as indicatedat 86, Fig-.1-

10, is roughened as indicated at '87'and 88,

the object being to provide means-whereby" there will be suficient friction on one-side.

of the groove as the projectile is' driven;

therefrom to cause the projectile toleave the machine with an extremely rapid revolution' in a horlzontal plane, thereby giving it ,a sailing efi'ect which gives the projectile The valve 101 controls the supply of air to the pipe 102 and to the feeding mechanism mounted within the fitting 103.

The projectile carrying tubes 104 are closed at one end as indicated at 105, except for a central opening, and each tube has a flat plunger 136 therein WhlCl'l fits 1t substantially airtight. The plunger 136 is fitted in each of the tubes 104 behind the charge of rojectiles therein. Each tube is also provi ed with an air hole as indicated at 106, the object of which is to so reduce the pressure within the projectile holding tube as to cause the valve 110 to move outwardly far enough to close the a1r passage -way valve 111 therethrough as to prevent the escape of air into the tube and to allow the air under pressure in the cylinder 112 to escape by way of the pipes 113, 114 and passage way 115 to the atmosphere thereby allowing the plunger 116 to be returned its initial position by the spring 117, said spring acting on the piston 118", piston rod 118 and the lever 119.

The lever 119 has a spring pawl end 120 which may nrove upwardly over the dogs 121 on the wheel 91, but it is caused by the spring 122 to immediately return to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 after it has passed one of the dogs 121, thereby advanclng a fresh projectile receptacle 1nt0 position and at the same time moving the valve 110 back into a position such as to cause it to deliver air under pressure into said projectile carrier and force out the fresh charge of projectiles.

The fitting 103 is connected with a pipe 123 ahead of which is a stop plate 124 to prevent the valve 110 from moving back more than a fixed amount, and the valve 111 has a gasket 125 in its front end to insure a tight joint with the end of the projectile tube. The spring 117, lever 119 and cylinder 112 are supported within a casing 126 carried by a bracket 127 depending from a plate 128 which also carries the dependin bracket 94 supporting one end of the fe wheel shaft 93.

A chute 130 supplies the projectile receptacles to the feed Wheels; and cover cleats 131, 131, which cover cleats are removed in the side elevation shown in Fig. 4 prevent the projectile receptacles from falling oil of said wheel during its forward movement. The casing 126 is also connected with the depending bracket 94 by means of a stud 132.

In order to prevent the projectile tubes being dislodged from the position they should occupy when being fed forward and at the time they engage the pistonvalve 111, the member 131 is provided with a spring 134 which bears upon the tubes and revents them from being too readily pushed ihrward. This spring is adjusted by means of the set bolt 135 extending through a projecting lug 136 of the cover member 131.

The operation of the valve 110 and piston 136 is such that when the piston is ushed back by the tube (see Fig. 4) theva ve 110 will also be pushed back, but as soon as the pressure comes on, the 'tube, which is then engaged, will be slightly pushed forward and the piston valve 111 will move forward, but as there is substantially no lossof air pressure at this moment there will be no.

tendency for the valve 110 to seat since only a small quantity of air is then permitted to escape. However, as soon as the plunger 136 which is placed in each tube behind the charge of projectiles gets to a point beyond the holes 106 the pressure wlthin the receptacles will fallso rapidly that the valve 110 will. be at once seated and when it is seated the air pressure in the cylinder 112 will run out allowing the spring 117 which operates the lever 119 to shift the feed wheels forward one notch, and in order to determine the precise amount of shifting a spring 137 is mounted on the bar .94 and has a hole therein which takes in one of the dogs 121 thereby determining the amount the Wheels will rotate each time and holdin them after a given movement has been ma e.

The projectile feedin mechanism consists of a plate 138 whic is pivoted to the revoluble disk by means of the pin 139. The plate has an upwardly projecting pin 140 which travels in a cam groove 141 in the- 7 upper or fixed plate 76. The plate 76 has an opemng therein to receive a threaded,

sleeve 142, which sleeve has a threaded plug 143 at its upper end and a slidable sleeve 144 at its lower end. Extending through the sleeves 143, 144 is a rod 145 which has a hand wheel 146 at its upper end and. has

a, roller 146 on its lower end, said roller having suitable ball bearings as indicated the passage of the projectiles is connected to the disk 44 in any suitable manner to rotate therewith and in order to direct the projectiles into the groove at the proper moment the roller 146' pushes the feed plate forward at a precise point in each revolution of the firing disk. When it is desired to disconthe centrifugal force will-'move the feed ,plate to the outer portion of the cam groove 141 throughout its entire movement thereby stopping the feed.

A pipe 150 is connected with the valve 99 and is connected with the top of the plate 76 at its center, the object being to supply air'to assist in holding the disk outof contact with the runway until it is well started on its way. A pi e 151 is connected with the valve 98 and it as two branches 153, 154 connected with the gun-barrel above and below the projectile. The air is allowed to blow off at this point thereby making a furthercushioning of the pro ectiles, and the pipe 151 also has a branch 151' connected with. the packing gland 151 at the bottom of the shaft 38 so air can be delivered to the gun at that pointas well. I The gland is made tight by the movable sleeve 160, which sleeve is adjusted by the two set bolts 161, 162 passing through the plate 128.

The operation of the gun is as follows: A number of projectile tubes may be placed in the feeder. The air valve will then be forced back bythe tube and a pressure of air will be'brought to bear on the plunger 136 which will force the tube forward. As soon as the tube has been pushed forward the projectiles will be forced out of the same and they will continue to be forced out until the plunger 136 reaches the holes in. the projectile tube, whereupon the air is so reducedin pressure therein as to cause a rush at the valve 110 suflicient to close it. At the same time the air 'in the pipe 114: will escape thereby allowing the spring 118' to push-the piston and piston rod 118 down, thereby placing another tube in position and resetting the feed lever 119.

The projectiles are forced up through the tube 96 to the top of the disk 44 and as they come up they are one at a time pushed by the feed plate 138 into the firing channel, and as air under pressure is continually fed to the same channel the tendency is to keep the projectile free from the plate to a certain extent.

The disk has two grooves 82 so that when one is worn the'other can be used.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows, express reservation being made of permissible modifications:

1.' A centrifugal gun comprising a revoluble disk, a cover therefor having a throwing channel, means on the disk to drive a projectile throu h said channel, and means to feed the pro ectiles through the disk .to-

the channel in the cover and below said cover.

operating therewith to throw a projectile, and means to feed the projectiles through the disk.

3. A mechanical gun comprising a revoluble disk, a cover therefor having-a guide way, means on the disk to drive a projectile through the "guide way, means to feed a plurality of projectiles through the disk to the guide way, and means carried by the disk to push. the projectiles into the guide way while the disk is" rotating.

4. Amechanical gun comprisingagrooved revoluble disk, a cover therefor having a, guide way, a movable plate on the disk to feed the projectiles into the groove, and. a

roller supported by'the cover to advance the tube carrier into line with the inlet end of the feed tube, and means to push the projectiles out of the carrier tube and into the feed tube.

7. A mechanical gun comprising a revoluble disk, means codperating therewith to throw a projectile therefrom, a feed tube extending into proximity to the disk, means to advancev a. series of projectile carrier tubes into line with the feed tube, and a valve to supply air under pressure to the projectile carrier tubes to push the projectiles into the feed tube.

8. A.mechanical gun comprising a revoluble member, a cover thereover having a peripherally, extending guide way, and means whereby projectiles may be fed. to the guide way from below the same to be rghrown therefrom by the revoluble mem 9. A mechanical gun comprisin a revoluble member, a cover thereover aving a substantially peripherally extending guide way, means whereby projectiles may be fed to the guide way from below the revoluble 120 the machine by the action'of the revoluble 13a member and guide way, and means to supply air under pressure to said members and the guide way to reduce the friction thereon of the projectiles.

11. A mechanical gun comprising a revoluble member, a cover thereover having a substantially peripherally extending guide way, means whereby projectiles may be fed to the guide way to be thrown therefrom by the revoluble member, a feed tube, a plurality of projectile carrier tubes, means to move said carrier tubes into line with the feed tube, and an air valve adapted to deliver air under pressure to the projectile carrier tubes to force a series of projectiles from the carrier tubes into the feed tubes.

12. A mechanical gun comprising means to throw a successive series of disks, a feed tube therefor, a revoluble feed member, disk carrier tubes adapted to be placed in said feed meniber, a plunger adapted to push said projectile carrier tubes into engagement with the feed tube, and means for advancing another disk carrier tube into position when a line of projectiles has been forced therefrom by the air under pressure delivered thereto.

13. A mechanical gun comprising a revoluble member having a groove therein, a cover therefor havin a substantially radially extending gui e way, means to feed projectiles to the guide way, a pivoted plate carried by the revoluble member, and means to advance said plate with every revolution of the revoluble member wherebyanother projectile is fed to the guide way.

14. A mechanical gun comprising a revoluble member,'a cover thereover having a substantially radially extending guide way and with which said revoluble member cooperates to drive a projectile therefrom, a

roller adapted to contact with said plate to.

move it forward to feed a projectile to the guide way, and means to supply a series of projectiles thereto.

'16. A mechanical gun comprising a revoluble disk having a guideway extending from the center outwardly, the edges of the groove being roughened to revolve the projectile, and a cover for the disk having a groove narrower than the guideway the latter groove determining the line of travel of the projectile. v

17. A mechnical gun comprising a revoluble disk having an outwardly extending groove, a grooved cover cooperating therewith to throw a projectile, and pneumatic means for supplying the projectiles to the disk.

18. A mechanical gun com rising a h0llow shaft with a revoluble dlsk havin an outwardly extending groove, means to eed projectiles thereto, a grooved cover for the disk, and pneumatic means for supplying the disk with projectiles through the hollow shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this. 2 day of November A. D. 1916.

BURT L. won'rrmu. 

